Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1993 and has been granted a wide range of powers and duties under the Environmental Protection Agency Acts 1992 to 2014, and other relevant environmental protection legislation. The EPA merged with the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland in August 2014.

The EPA is governed by an executive board consisting of a director general and five directors, who are appointed by the Government. While the EPA operates generally under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, it also has a relationship with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, which has responsibility for drinking water, urban wastewater and water quality.

The EPA’s 2017 financial statements record total income of almost €71.2 million. State grant funding for the year totalled just under €50 million. Deferred retirement benefit funding recognised in income was a further €9.2 million. The EPA’s operational activities, including licensing, enforcement, radiological and other activities, generated income of €12.3 million, or approximately 17% of income for the year.

Expenditure incurred by the EPA in 2017 totalled almost €69.6 million. Approximately 50% of the expenditure incurred related to salaries and retirement benefit costs. The agency reported an operating surplus of approximately €344,000 for the year. I issued a clear audit opinion in respect of the financial statements for 2017.